


Midnight Drive

by MxMajor



Category: Black Panther (2018)
Genre: AU-if wakanda exists they aren't there, Alternate Universe - College/University, Black Reader, Black!Reader - Freeform, Co-Ed M'Baku, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, M/M, Multi, Non-binary Reader - Freeform, Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-04-22 13:45:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,455
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14309964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MxMajor/pseuds/MxMajor
Summary: You don’t do this. But lo and behold, you're in an apartment on what is easily your favorite couch ever, while a 6 foot 4 anomaly is in his kitchen making you tea. Your “homie”.  Beneficial friend. Cuddy buddy, if you will.College AU Netflix & Chill with M'Baku, the ultimate anomaly in friends-with-benefits jackpots and Black!Reader who is a graduate student and nerdy but not gender specific. CW: The reader is black and I am also black, I do use the n-word. This is also the first thing I've ever posted on this site. I hope you enjoyed as much as I did thinking about and writing it.





	Midnight Drive

**Author's Note:**

> This is also the first thing I've ever posted on this site. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did thinking about and writing it. It was a bit of challenge to try to Americanize him in my head so he's first generation American with a Nigerian dad and American mom. I picture american M'baku (not M'Baku in America, thats different) doing most things that are considered traditional and expected of black men who go to college but still being a vegetarian that thinks he's funny, having his brolic moments but still preferring some isolation. I wrote this in 3 hours so I apologize for typos and grammatic errors. Not a 1---% about ratings so i hope its rated appropriately.
> 
> SN: Title comes from a Mary J Blige song called Midnight Ride, reader isn't actually popping up at midnight unless that is what you would do (no judgement).
> 
> I do not own any of the characters created by Marvel.

You don’t do this. Hookups, Business majors, greeks any of that. Athlete. Well, former athlete, whatever, you didn’t roll that way. But lo and behold, you're in an apartment on what is easily your favorite couch ever, while a 6 foot 4 anomaly is in his kitchen making you tea. Your “homie.”  Beneficial friend. Cuddy buddy, if you will. ‘Cause you don’t do this.

You met M’Baku in a class you have together, a fifth-year senior receiving a double degree (this nigga is unreal) in a grant writing seminar you both enrolled in for the spring. Or at least, your back up story if anyone ever caught you in public together to soften the blow that would follow from the social circuits at this school. Seriously, the university wasn't small, but if you were talking to somebody, it would become common knowledge of the BSU that died your freshman year and came back after your major swallowed your social life junior year. And if you were fucking somebody, you might as well have done it on the quad or in the student center, because people didn’t respect privacy and you don’t really fly a freak flag to invite everyone into your business. Which is why you don’t do this, especially not with a Greek (that just speeds up the gossip circuit) that you’re pretty sure every black person apart of the African diaspora at your school knew.

“I decided to try raw honey, like you suggested last time you were over. I like it with my rooibos but definitely not the green.” he said bringing over two mugs to join you. He sat the still steaming mugs down on the side table while you scooted away from the corner of the couch. After taking your old seat, he pulled you into his lap like you were a blanket and grabbed his Roku remote. Why did he have to be so smooth all the time? and strong? and Greek?

There was nothing wrong with being Greek, your parents and brothers are still active with their orgs, hosting scholarship fundraisers every spring. Its just that your generation's social dynamics evolved the pettiness of high school into a social economy that effected internships and professional relationships in this college town. People couldn’t just be nosy like their grandparents and gossip at church; they found ways to block folks and help each other out (just like most white folks) based on opinions and talk. At the very least, M’Baku didn’t think you were crazy for wanting to be covert or respect you less for not being out and about, because he was tired of being under a microscope. He loved his community and org, he told you, but he did need some isolation from his public life to recharge from time to time. And getting secluded with you to blow off some steam was a good option, too.

“Are we watching a movie or picking up where we left off?” you asked, twisting in his lap to grab your mug. He joked at you when you claimed the blue mug as your own, telling him he doesn’t like the color anyway when he said you were trying to be like your brothers and parents. The first sip of tea warmed your tongue and throat, the way that always makes you hum and close your eyes before taking a longer drink. When you open your eyes, he’s smiling at you, the gap between his teeth exposed staring at your mouth.

“No, we are actually chilling today.” you say patting his chest. “Today was leg day and I’m sore.”

“Let’s just watch Leverage I need to know how they stop Damien Moreau.” he said looking away, not looking embarrassed or upset, just grabbing the remote to go to his recents list on Netflix. You relaxed into his lap more, leaning against his shoulder as the opening monologue started. His left arm wrapped around your waist, but he didn’t push any boundaries before grabbing his own mug.

“Aww you actually waited for me. You’re so sweet.” you say, watching him smile a little wider before taking sip of his own tea. He didn’t like this show at first but you beat him at a circuit competition at the student rec center (it was open to everyone, but side bets are more fun) and won the next choice for shows you would watch.

“Well waiting is better than dealing with that attitude you caught when I finished a Naked and Afraid episode without you again.” he said while you straightened your legs across the couch cushions to try and stretch your hamstrings.

“Um you _spoiled_ that episode so if you’re gonna watch shit without me-“

“I know, I know don’t tell you about it.” he said squeezing one of the muscles in your leg before massaging the same area with firm presses. You let out a sigh of relief and were about to remind him to turn on the subtitles, but they were already on. This thing you two had going hadn’t even been going on that long and he already knew how things worked with you.

You wished you could say this relationship started after some encounter at the gym or that you really had first met in the class you have together, but it was 2018 so of course it was on Tinder. Normally, is profile would have been swiped left, because he didn't have any pictures of himself. Instead the first image was a joke that caught you off guard enough to laugh out loud in public and the next was a screenshot of the Bodega Boys podcast cover, a guilty pleasure none of your woke friends knew you indulged in. His middle name was up there instead of his first name and you never really considered meeting him in person. Especially after you and your drunk friends had decided that you were grown and could have it all- career, boo, car, and degrees- and you didn't delete the app when you were sober.

The idea that you could balance out every area in your life when the beginning of graduate school made you feel like it was ending was a boon. The transition didn't have to be too jarring, you tracked into the program at the same school where you got your bachelor's , based on advisor recommendations and your internship. And a few messages here and there kept you holding on to that idea, the little buzzes from getting super-liked a boost to the ego, even if you didn't get to go out like you used to because you had become a graduate assistant.

But all the positive thinking culminated into a tall man making a bee line toward you when the professor said to get 3 people’s contact information, so you wouldn't have excuses for that falling behind shit (would you swear when you became a professor?). He told you his middle name was Davidson and asked if you listened to a recent podcast. You started responding to his messages like you were getting paid, until one night, after jokingly negotiating terms to be FWB, you ended up at his apartment. While getting this master’s degree under way, meeting up with him became half (75%, lets be real) of your social life. Sometimes it was sexual, other times just intimate, but always pretty funny. Oh wait.

“Baku.” you say to get his attention. He doesn't like to talk during shows, you do like to talk, so you compromise with subtitles and playing out the intro and credits to talk then. But sometimes you couldn't resist.

“Baku.” you try again tapping his chest.

“What is it?” he asked briskly, after hitting the pause button.

“I know you didn't read the comics, but I swear up and down Elliot could be Wolverine if Hugh Jackman retired.” you came to this realization on your way over, the actor was short and had a good scowl. It could be perfect. “Like actual 90’s cartoon Wolverine.”

He looked down at you for a moment before deciding to restart the show.

“And he did his own stunts, he could do them again.”

“Are you done yet?” he asked a little impatiently, still holding the remote

“And if they made a Black Panther a movie, Aldis could be T’Challa. He can do an accent” you said getting your whole fancast out while watching his nostrils flare. He didn't really care for science fiction or superheroes but liked action films, so you thought he might agree. But you also knew that he gets a little huffy when you talk during a season finale, but it took you forever to figure out who Elliot reminded you of.

“Y/N are you finished?” he asked laughing a bit, realizing it probably took some effort for you to wait 30 minutes into the episode before talking. “You always say you can’t talk after lecturing days, yet here you are-“

“Whatever.” You said trying to turn away from his chest and hissing when your leg muscles tighten a little.

“Did you stretch?” he asked me, the show still paused on Nate and Damien as he looked down at your face.

“Yeah a little, but you know how crowded the gym is on this night, I just-“

“Y/N if you’re trying to be strong like me you have to _nurture_ your muscles.” He said in his dad-accent. Whenever he lectures you about fitness (he’s a former college athlete and biology major) he starts talking like his Nigerian father. He slid his other arm under your legs to lift you over his lap a bit. “Do you think mountains like myself are built with just lifting?”

“Oh my God, nigga, put me down.” you said laughing before he pulled you back into his lap and chest. “Turn the show back on so we can finally see how they catch this Damien, mountain man.”

With Nate finishing his “I got you speech” in the background, you thought about the other reason you rushed to leave the gym (because you do truly hate it when it gets crowded on Wednesday nights). Maybe you were starting to develop some serious feelings for him. Not, I want us to go declare our love on top of the president’s building feelings, but definitely some you-make-my-day, Mary J Blige when-she’s-happy emotions.

“I can’t believe she had to fake her death like that.” he said bringing you out of your thoughts. “Alright we can talk, I gotta hit the bathroom first.”

You tried to move but caught a charlie horse that you thought wasn’t noticeable, but he just lifted you again, sucking his teeth at your lack of self-care. He was very good at silent judgement, so you knew how he felt about something without feeling judged yourself. You didn't think your feelings were one sided, not at all, but you didn’t want to let your own emotions flood your discernment or fuck up your situation, so you hadn't said anything.

“Take off your sweatpants.” you heard him say from behind the couch in a serious voice. You see him holding his Epsom gel and your heart fluttered a bit because he joked about doing this once, but you didn't believe he would really do it.  He hands you the jar after a second and helps you pull the pants down before kneeling and getting to work. This was the shit that fucked up your discernment. And your restraint. While he was being sweet and maybe trying for caring by rubbing muscle relaxant on your legs, he also had very large, slightly calloused hands that release special M’Baku Sex Pheromones.

“You know I don’t do this for just anyone.” he said focusing on kneading the back of your left thigh slowly.

“I don’t know man, that’s a pretty big jar.” you said seeing the opportunity to diffuse some tension.

“Y/N be serious.” he said. “I know you are a busy person so when you do have free time I’m usually taking it. And I just want you to know I really appreciate what I have with you.”

“M’Baku I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t want to be.” You said, hoping he wasn’t feeling obligated to be nice to you. You weren’t bartering each other’s time, you both wanted to be here.

“I know,” he said with a smile, resting your leg on his shoulder to apply the gel to your calf and hamstrings. “Even though we want to keep things private, I know I have feeling for you that I don’t want to have to keep secret. You’re not a secret, Y/N.”

“You aren’t either.” you said not really knowing how to respond because it sounded like he had some happy MJB feelings and was going to shoot his shot. You don't even play basketball and know he could alley oop the shot, if he wanted.

“I want to go out with you.” he said moving over to the right leg, kneeling in front of you on the couch. “I know we said to keep things to ourselves but sometimes I feel like we're together and I want yo spend time with you outside of my spot.”

“Even if everyone is in our business?” you two don’t even do your grant writing assignments together and the semester is about to end.

“People’s lack of boundaries or respect are not more important than me enjoying myself with you, Y/N. If this is something you want too, lets just do what we want.” he said looking you in the eye, hands stopped.

“What I want too?” you said, holding eye contact and smiling up at him.

“Yeah what you want too.” he said smiling and leaning down to kiss you.

“Okay.” you said after breaking the kiss, his forehead still against yours. “And what if I want something more _right now_?”

“No.” he said and sat back up, beginning to rub your leg again.

“M’Baku! Come on.” you protested, knowing you felt him get a little hard a moment before.

“Nope, this is punishment for not taking care of yourself.” he said with a smile, still smooth even if there was a print in his pants. That was probably a part of the punishment, too. “You need to take care of your body before asking me to take care of you.”

“Well I could still take care of you.” you said lifting your foot to run it along his inner thigh and biting your lip.

“Do it again and I stop the massage.” he said in mock seriousness.

“You tease.” you said smiling up at him.

“ _Your_ tease.” he said placing a kiss on your knee.


End file.
